Ike's Bluff

History's take on presidential performance is subject to change. Dwight Eisenhower is a case in point. As historian Richard Norton points out, Eisenhower "was considered something of a do-nothing president...Indeed, the Supreme Commander of the Normandy invasion was so subtle and self-effacing as president that historians judged him mediocre." The New Yorker's Richard Rovere, regarded Eisenhower as "a bland `standard American' incapable of nuance or subtlety." Now, fifty years after Eisenhower left office, historians are presenting his presidency in an entirely different light.No one has done so more persuasively, dramatically and definitively than journalist-historian Evan Thomas in his new book, Ike's Bluff: President Eisenhower's Secret Battle to Save the World. Thomas reveals Eisenhower in thought, word and deed to be both a "deeply human" man and a courageous and consummate dissembler in the ultimate game of chance--maneuvering to prevent nuclear war.Leading while living on the brink of nuclear annihilation brought forth Eisenhower's presidential genius. "Ike governed by indirection," Thomas writes, "not just because he preferred to, but because he had to. His ability to save the world from nuclear Armageddon entirely depended on his ability to convince America's enemies--and his own followers--that he was willing to use nuclear weapons. This was a bluff of epic proportions."No one was better equipped by temperament and experience to pull off this sustained misdirection. Eisenhower was an ambitious, supremely confident, triumphant war hero, a skillful judge of character and motivation, a leader of focused purpose who inspired public trust and who retained presidential approval ratings of at least sixty percent for most of his eight years in office.And, apropos of the book's title, Eisenhower was something of a card shark. For Ike, playing cards (bridge) "was a relaxing way of doing what he did all day: reading minds, weighing options, (his own and others'), thinking ahead, and concealing his intentions." Yet despite the extent to which Ike in all ways "fit" the fundamental challenge of his presidency, the relentless pressure from foes and friends alike made Eisenhower's terms in office far more gut wrenching than glamorous. What Thomas says of Ike's sense of military responsibility applies equally to his approach to the presidency: "Always, and inescapably, Eisenhower felt the weight of command."Descriptions of Eisenhower's loneliness, anxiety, rumination, risk, excruciating pain and declining health provide a visceral and poignant sense of his presidency. Eisenhower's torment seems inevitable given the rapid advance of nuclear weapons and delivery systems by superpowers jockeying for global supremacy, a predicament made more vexing by lack of definitive information.The Korean War, leadership change in post-Stalin Russia, France's clumsy attempt to retain control of colonial Indochina and the aftermath of a partitioned Vietnam, regime change, to put it politely, in Iran, conflict over control of the Suez Canal, China's muscle flexing bombardment of the islands Quemoy and Matsu, all these and other situations were potential flash points which could have lead to wider, armed conflict. According to the classic military theory, once started, such conflict would eventually provoke the use of nuclear weapons. To this reader, each flare up Thomas chronicles seemed like a Cuban Missile Crisis in the making.Some of Eisenhower's advisers seemed eager "to see the rubble bounce" and urged the use of nuclear weapons to resolve these situations. (An entire chapter of the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders could be devoted to Strategic Air Command General. Curtis LeMay, after whom George C. Scott's character in the 1964 film, Dr. Strangelove, must have been modeled.) To avoid tipping his hand to international adversaries, however, Eisenhower had to give the impression that such insanity could not be ruled out, all the while pursuing more workable and humane alternatives.The reader is mercifully given occasional comic relief from the narrative's no exit tension. Most amusing to me is Eisenhower's comment on Republican Senate Minority Leader, William Knowland of California. Reportedly "dumfounded" by Knowland, Ike wrote in his diary, "In this case there seems to be no final answer to the question, `How stupid can you get?'" There is also Eisenhower's outburst upon realizing that a meeting had not begun in the prescribed manner: "Jesus Christ! We forgot the prayer!"For the most part, though, Ike's Bluff is a razor's edge read--thought and discussion provoking. Questions about the balance between secrecy and disclosure in a democratic society come to mind. Ike's Bluff is an unusually rich source of for wide ranging inquiry and debate. The book should quickly become required reading for students of international affairs, leadership, power and the presidency itself.The 2012 presidential election also came to my mind frequently as I read Ike's Bluff. (Mamas don't let your babies grow up to be presidents!) The candidate who is driven more by ego than aspiration, who does not realize, as did Eisenhower, that war is the real enemy, will not serve himself or his country well.For Eisenhower, with his sense of purpose and duty to America, and to all the world's people, his presidency was a meaningful but self-sacrificial enterprise. Eisenhower's brilliance and Lincolnesque fortitude saved the day, or the decade. As Thomas puts it, "The 1950's were boringly peaceful (or are remembered that way) only because Eisenhower made them so."Now that we seem to be in a condition of what some have called perpetual or continuous war, an interval of peace with justice would seem anything but boring. After dealing with nuclear threats, Eisenhower famously and prophetically warned of a different kind of fallout--the way the emerging military industrial complex, with congress doing its bidding, could contaminate the atmosphere of civil society. Hopefully a leader capable of taking on this bureaucratic colossus will come forward in time to be profiled by Evan Thomas.

An interesting and well-written book, “Ike’s Bluff” gives a peek behind the curtain of early Cold War jostling and gives a clear illustration of how difficult it is to steer the ship of state.

Summary Thoughts1. Inspirational book on accountability in decision making2. Sharp contrast to the broken #PoliticalClass concepts of leadership in America today3. "His greatest victories were the wars he did not fight" -Evan Thomas #indeedContent Highlights1. "Eisenhower was the first President to use TV as a bully pulpit, but he was not particularly good at it" (pg 16) #authenticity2. "The people, judging from Eisenshower's high poll ratings, believed that he had sound judgment" (pg 16)3. "too many cups of coffee, smoked too many cigarettes, slept badly, and worried far too much." (pg 18) #accountability4. "He knew that he had a gift: the power to make people - indeed, whole peoples - trust him" (pg 28) #trust5. "His firstborn child... "Icky", died of scarlet fever in 1921... and he never really recovered from the loss" (pg 30) like #Jefferson6. "Eisenhower had grown up poor in Abilene, Kansas" (pg 33) #perspective7. "President Eisenhower's day usually proceeded with the precision of a military band." (pg 43) very #process/routine oriented8. "Let's not make our mistakes in a hurry" was one of his standard sayings." (pg 45) very #patient, risk manager of a man9. "Never get in a pissing match with the skunk" (pg 57) to his brother Milton about #McCarthy10. "What we found was the result of seven years of yapping was exactly zero. We have no plan." (pg 59) Ike on #Stalin's death11. "Miss America contestants were asked to state their opinion of Karl Marx" (pg 69) #1950 zeitgeist in America during Korean War12. "More significant was the death of Stalin, the leader most responsible for the conflict" (pg 81) good chapter contextualizing Korea13. "The war is over and I hope my son is coming home soon" (pg 81) wars different vs recent US Presidents; #personal responsibility14. "Learning To Love The Bomb" (pg 101) Chapter 7, illustrates how politicians in America marketed/sold #fear15. "we live by emotion, prejudice, and pride" (pg 105) Ike in an excellent leadership note to #Churchill16. "Eisenhower, himself a heavy editor, fiddled with his speeches until the last possible moment" (pg 111) #accountability17. "You've got to stick your butt out more, Mr President" (pg 115) loved #golf, this was advice from Sam Snead at Augusta18. "Eisenhower was astonished at the foolishness of the French" (pg 120) annoyed w/ France at Dien Bien Phu #Vietnam19. "You have a row of dominos set up, and you knock the first one over" (pg 127) why he kept USA out of Vietnam #195420. "Eisenhower was an expert in finding reasons for not doing things" (pg 130) -Andy Goodpaster, his Staff Secretary21. "Scientists and industrialists must be given the greatest possible freedom to carry out their research" (pg 146) #evolve22. "Don't Worry, I'll Confuse Them" (Chapter 10) fascinating #strategy chapter on how he's play the Chinese23. "Chiang might have dragged out the crisis had the Red Chinese not backed down. But they did." (pg 164)24. "Eisenhower had read Clausewitz's On War - three times" (page 203) #study25. "This fellow's licked and what's more he knows it" (pg 209) Ike on Adlai Stevenson's challenge for the Presidency #195626. "icy with anger, warm with satisfaction, sharp with concern" (pg 215) when Ike learned of the #U2 intelligence on Russia27. "A crisis in leadership" (pg 255) that's what Time Magazine said about Ike in #1957, #embarrassing editorial times28. "The President must be in some kind of partial retirement" -Walter Lippmann (pg 255) #1957, not knowing what Ike knew29. "You can understand that there are many things that I don't care to allude to publicly" -Eisenhower (pg 260)30. "Patience and privacy were virtues of leadership, vices of politics... he was the lonely keeper of the nation's secrets" (pg 260)31. "Psychologically, he could handle the pressure. But physically, he could not" (pg 260) I get it32. "The Roman Empire controlled the world... Now the communists have established a foothold in outer space" -#LBJ! (pg 276)33. "Ike, who regarded LBJ as a phony" (pg 277) Life Magazine put Lyndon Johnson on the cover, Russian space #FearMongering34. "Alsop did what newsmen do: he found other sources. One was Johnson, who cultivated Alsop" (pg 310) gotta love #NYTimes35. "Eisenhower was, in effect, his own secretary of defense" (pg 314) #experienced practitioner, not political parrot36. "honesty of purpose, calmness, and inexhaustible patience" (pg 331) Ike, on himself, and virtues of #leadership37. "Khruschev was surprised and overjoyed to be invited to America by Eisenhower" (pg 335), keep your #enemies close38. "He found her and crawled in beside her" (pg 352) Eisenhower's best friend, his wife #Mamie39. "I'm Just Fed Up!" Chapter 25, classic - U2 crisis blows up with Russia/Khruschev; Eisenhower diffuses the risk, again40. "Ike was more comfortable as a soldier, yet his greatest victories were the wars he did not fight" (pg 404) #conclusionA great rewind of uniquely American-style Presidential leadership - buy the book.KM

He wasn't a genial, golf-playing grandfather who also happened to organize the Normandy Invasion and win the war in Europe. He was a poker-playing, bridge-bluffing master strategist who liked to appear bland and smiling and yet had a ferocious temper and kept the nuke-loving generals at bay in the Cold War--and only he could do it, given that he'd faced down FDR, Stalin, Churchill and Hitler. Part of the revisionist school of Eisenhower historians, it's believable and fascinating how he could be so many things at once and also tolerate Nixon as Vice President. It's starting to change my views of Ike and on the surface, Thomas, a veteran storyteller, has it right. Putting Ike in office did save the peace, even though I would have probably voted for Stevenson if I could vote then.

This was a page turner and if accurate, which I'm sure it is, a great history lesson.

I grew up in the 50s and find it interesting to see what was swirling around me at the age of 10 to my teens. Always heard that Ike was somewhat the light weight, but this gives the lie to that. Good read.